Aside

Tech Skills

My experience includes but is not limited to:
• Bioinformatics script development
• Genome annotation
• Transposable element characterization
• Gene and protein structure prediction
• Home range estimation

Lab Skills

Cytogenetics and cellular biology:
• C-banding
• NOR
• DAPI/CMA3
• FISH
• PCR
• Human cell cultures

Disclaimer

Made in R w/ pagedown.

Source code: Github repo.

Last updated on 2023-11-15.

Main

Francisco Xavier Castellanos Insuasti

I am a PhD student at the Ray Lab, skilled in fieldwork, cellular and molecular biology, and bioinformatics. My research encompasses studies from the evolution of Transposable Elements and the innate immune response of bats to the Ecology, behavior and habitat occupancy of large mammals such as Andean bears, tapirs and Andean foxes in Ecuador.

Education

2024

PhD Student

Texas Tech University. The Ray Lab. Lubbock, USA
2023

Master of Science in Biology

Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
  • Thesis: A Comparative Genomics Approach to Unravel the Evolutionary Dynamics of Transposable Elements and Innate Immune Genes in Chiroptera.
2020

BS Genetics

Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva,
Universidad Nacional de Misiones
Posadas, Argentina
  • Thesis: Cytogenetic and molecular studies in some species of the Genus Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Myotinae) in Northern Argentina.

Research Experience

Present2021

Collaborator

The Ray Lab, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
  • RAPID: Immunological adaptations in bats to moderate the effect of coronavirus infection.
  • RoL: FELS: EAGER: Collaborative Research: Genomics of exceptions to scaling of longevity to body size.
Present2020

Associated Researcher

INABIO Quito, Ecuador
  • Employed novel bioinformatic methods to understand how mammals make use of their natural habitat and what resources impact on how they move across their home ranges.
Present2015

Research Assistant

Andean Bear Foundation Quito, Ecuador
  • As part of the Large Mammals Project in Parque Nacional Cayambe Coca, I assisted in ecotourism projects and tracking of mammals.
  • Our Foundation works with INABIO on several projects related to home range estimation of mammals habitats and behavior patterns using GPS data.

Professional Experience

Present2023

Regional Chair

Bat1K
  • As a newly appointed Regional Chair for Ecuador I intend to bridge connections between one of the most important worldwide bat consortia and institutions in my home country that have not collaborated with genome sequencing initiatives due to lack of funding.
  • My efforts will expand the consortium’s reach and impact in one of the most underrepresented regions with regard to genome-related projects.
2021

Thesis Evaluating Committee

Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas Bogotá, Colombia
  • Undergraduate Thesis: “Biological knowledge status of the subfamily Stenodermatinae (Gervais, 1856): a cytogenetic revision within an evolutionary framework”
20182015

Field Assistant

Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional de Misiones Posadas, Argentina
  • I was part of collection campaigns with the goal of obtaining biological samples from bats for several genetic and ecological projects.

Internships

December 2022

A cytogenetic and genomic approach to unravel phylogenetic discrepancies in a bat genus

Integrative Biology Department, University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, USA
February 2020

Karyological analyses as a tool for clinical diagnosis of human hereditary diseases

Hospital Carlos Andrade Marin, Genetics and Molecular Unit Quito, Ecuador
20192018

Herpetology data base enhancement project

Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional de Misiones Posadas, Argentina

Teaching Experience

20232022

BIOL 1404 (BIOL II)

Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
  • Laboratory Teaching Assistant.
  • Lab continuation for BIOL1403 for Biology Major students.
  • Dissection labs are performed besides an independent investigation project in which students present a scientific article draft as a final project.
2023

Genomes and Genomes Evolution

Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
  • Teaching Assistant
  • Guided graduate students through exercises performed through the Unix command line to analyze genome assemblies via several tools.
20222021

BIOL 1403 (BIOL I)

Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
  • Laboratory Teaching Assistant.
  • Lab course designed to develop scientific skills in Biology Major students.
  • Guided students to perform microscopy, spectrophotometry, and fermentation experiments.
Summer 2022

BIOL 3416 (Genetics)

Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
  • Laboratory Teaching Assistant.
  • Topics covered include Mendelian genetics, fly crosses to replicate Thomas Morgan’s experiments, and Chi-square as a means to understand statistical significance of expected and observed breeding results.
Spring 2021

Introduction to Telemetry and Ecology of Large Mammals

Andean Bear Foundation Online
  • Basic level introduction to R language, basic statistics and data visualization.
  • Intermediate-level students were introduced to home range estimation methods using the adehabitat package.
  • Advanced students learned to visualize animal movement with the movevis package and to estimate home ranges using the Convex Hull method with T-LoCoH.

Pedagogical Training

Fall 2022

Biology Teacher Scholar Program

Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
  • Completed a comprehensive teaching professional development program
  • Participated in intensive, 2-day bootcamp on topics including: active learning, growth mindset, and lesson planning
  • Participated in monthly mentoring sessions
  • Completed a peer teaching observation and reflection

Publications

2023

A SINE-based method to reconstruct concordant phylogenies in Chiroptera (In preparation)

Castellanos, F. X., Paulat, N., Hughes, G., and Ray, D.
2023

Home range and utilization of landscape of the Andean bear Tremarctos ornatus in the Ecuadorian Andes (In preparation)

Castellanos, F. X., Jackson, D., Kays, R., Van Gestel, N., Brito, J. and Castellanos, A
2023

The search behavior of terrestrial mammals (Submitted to Nature Communications)

Michael J. Noonan, Ricardo Martinez-Garcia, Christen H. Fleming, … Castellanos, F. X. .. , William F. Fagan, and Justin M. Calabrese.(2023). [Preprint]: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.31.521874
2023

The evolution of antimicrobial peptides in Chiroptera

Castellanos, F. X., Moreno-Santillan, D., Hughes, G.M., …, Ray, D.A. and Dávalos, L.M. The evolution of antimicrobial peptides in Chiroptera. Frontiers in Immunology 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1250229
2023

New species of the Spiny Mouse genus Neacomys (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) from northwestern Ecuador

Tinoco, N., Koch, C., Colmenares J., Castellanos, F. X.,and Brito, J. (2023). New species of spiny mouse genus of the Neacomys (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) from northwestern Ecuador. Zookeys 1175:187-221. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1175.106113
2021

A pilot study on the home range and movement patterns of the Andean Fox Lycalopex culpaeus (Molina, 1782) in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador

Castellanos, A., Castellanos, F. X., Kays, R. and Brito, J. (2021). A pilot study on the home range and movement patterns of the Andean Fox Lycalopex culpaeus (Molina, 1782) in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador. Mammalia 86(1), 22-26. https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia‑2020‑0195
2020

Tapirus pinchaque in Western Ecuador

Castellanos, A., Brito, J. and Castellanos, F. X.. (2021). Tapirus pinchaque in Western Ecuador. Museum of Zoologic Research IASA, Technical Bulletin, Zoologic Series 16:1-4. Online access:
https://journal.espe.edu.ec/ojs/index.php/revista‑serie‑zoologica/article/view/1629
2020

First report of Canine distemper in the Andean Fox (Lycalopex culpaeus) in Ecuador

Castellanos, A., Brito, J. and Castellanos, F. X.. (2022). First report of Canine distemper in the Andean Fox (Lycalopex culpaeus) in Ecuador. Museum of Zoologic Research IASA, Technical Bulletin, Zoologic Series 16:1-4. Online access:
https://journal.espe.edu.ec/ojs/index.php/revista‑serie‑zoologica/article/view/1628
2019

Glyphonycteris, O. Thomas, 1896 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Glyphonycterinae), a new genus of bats for Argentina, with commentary on its karyotype

Sánchez, M.S., Labaroni C.A., Castellanos, F. X. and Baldo, D.J. Glyphonycteris, O. Thomas, 1896 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Glyphonycterinae), a new genus of bats for Argentina, with commentary on its karyotype. Mastozoología Neotropical, 26(2):420-429.
https://doi.org/10.31687/saremMN.19.26.2.0.12
2019

Panthera onca

Castellanos, A., Castellanos, F. X., and Vallejo, A.F. 2019. Panthera onca In: Brito, J., Camacho, M. A., Romero, V. Vallejo, A. F. (eds). Mamíferos del Ecuador. Version 2018.0. Zoology Museum, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Online access:
https://bioweb.bio/faunaweb/mammaliaweb/FichaEspecie/Panthera%20onca
2019

Artibeus lituratus

Sánchez, Mariano S., Castellanos, F. X., Sandoval, María Leonor (2019). Artibeus lituratus. (2019). Categorization of mammals in Argentina according to their risk of extinction. Argentine mammal’s Red List. Digital version: https://cma.sarem.org.ar/es/especie‑nativa/artibeus‑lituratus
2019

Carollia perspicillata

Castellanos, F. X., Sánchez, Mariano S., Sandoval, María Leonor (2019). Carollia perspicillata. (2019). Categorization of mammals in Argentina according to their risk of extinction. Argentine mammal’s Red List. Digital version: https://cma.sarem.org.ar/es/especie‑nativa/carollia‑perspicillata

Conferences & Talks

June 2023

deAMPlifying the Immune Response? Antimicrobial Peptides Evolution in Chiroptera

Oral presentation: Evolution. Albuquerque NM, USA.
April 2023

deAMPlifying the Immune Response? Antimicrobial Peptides Evolution in Chiroptera

Oral presentation: 11th Texas Tech Annual Biologial Sciences Symposium. Best Oral Presentation. Lubbock TX, USA.
August 2022

deAMPlifying the Immune Response: Antimicrobial Peptides Evolution in Chiroptera

Poster presentation:. 19th IBCR - 50th NASBR. [Abstract PDF]. Austin TX, USA.
April 2021

De lo básico a lo complejo: ¿Qué causa el Síndrome de Prader WIlli?

Invited speaker: From the basics to the complex: What causes Prader-Willi Syndrome?
Fundación Prader-Willi Ecuador. Online.
October 2018

Chromosomal studies in some species of the genus Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Northern Argentina.

Poster presentation:. XXXI Argentine Conference of Mastozoology.
[Abstract PDF]. La Rioja, Argentina.

Awards

2023

Bat Biology Foundation Award

The Ray Lab, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
2023

Short summer Research Award

The Ray Lab, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
2022

General Fellowships for New and Continuing Graduate Students

The Ray Lab, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
2022

Study Abroad Competitive Scholarship

The Ray Lab, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
2022

TTU Biology Teacher-Scholars Program

Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University Lubbock, USA
2019

Science and Technology Scholarship

Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional de Misiones Posadas, Argentina